Page 117 of Cruel Knots

“Thank God,” I breathe, looking between the brothers. “Who was he?”

“He was one of those people who searched the dumping ground for fresh dead bodies. It’s not uncommon for corpses to appear in a place like that. He was an organ harvester. People like him hunt for corpses so they can harvest the organs to sell on the black market for millions.”

Ice flows through my veins. I expected to hear about a good Samaritan who saved the lives of those three young men but I should’ve known better. There are no knights or angels in their tale. Only monsters in human skin.

“He wasn’t even going to wait for us to die,” Leon says with an icy chuckle. “He was about to cut up Mikhail when I spoke up. Could barely do that though with a punctured lung at the time.”

“It’s not funny,” Damien says in a grim tone.

“It kind of feels funny now,” Leon says. Shrugging, he continues. “I showed the man my family tattoo. Luckily, he recognized the Volkov mark.” He points at a small tattoo of a snarling wolf just below his collarbone. “The fucker was smart enough to make a deal with me.”

“What kind of deal?” I ask.

“I told him we’d kill every person he wants dead for free,” Leon says. “He just had to make sure we were all alive and well.”

“Nothing’s sweeter than revenge,” adds Damien.

“So, you followed the deal and killed strangers for this man?”

“That’s what we do,” Damien says in a low, grim tone. “We’re assassins. We kill for money, power, or favors. That’s the kind of men who possess you, Lucia.”

I gaze back at the TV screen where the news is still showing footage of the Morelli assassination. Morality has no place in the criminal underworld. You either kill or get killed.

The only thing that disturbs me is Callum’s involvement with these men. Dad never dealt with such people. Why did Callum need them on his side? Were the atrocities against Damien’s family just the tip of the iceberg?

I feel the sharp prick of Leon’s blade on my throat.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks in a soft, seductive tone.

“Nothing,” I say, intently holding still until he decides to remove the blade from my neck.

“Nothing?” Damien questions with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m glad you’re all here,” I say truthfully. “You have no idea how many nights I prayed for you all to be safe. Eventually, I stopped though. When the years rolled on and you guys never showed up, I started believing Callum. I believed you were dead.”

Surprise flickers in their eyes.

“It pained you to think we were dead?” Leon asks.

I glance between him and Damien, and nod, hoping they’ll believe me.

33

Lucia

A week passes without any incidents of break-ins and attacks. The upgrades in my new room keep me comfortable as well as entertained to an extent.

Lilja bought me a Kindle e-reader when she realized I have a love of reading. It’s barely been a few days since I received it but the device is already loaded with my favorite books.

I can download newer books but a part of me craves the comfort of familiar characters and stories. Callum burned down my precious collection of books when he found a copy of Fifty Shades of Gray in my possession.

Reading romance books will turn your mind into a filthy pit, he’d screamed while I begged him not to destroy my precious books.

I’m no fan of the BDSM lifestyle but the popularity of the books piqued my curiosity. The novel also gave me my first taste of the modern contemporary romance genre.

Thinking back, I can only wish Kindles were popular a decade ago. That way, I could’ve had the privacy to read whatever I wanted without Callum knowing.

Callum’s absence makes my spirit heal. Even though the freedom to leave my room is denied to me, I feel safe and comfortable here.

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